Sidat Wettimuny - still going strong 57 not out

By A. C. De Silva

Star cricketer - now golfing star ..... Cricket fans, there is something for you all to celebrate tomorrow. One of Sri Lanka's finest batsmen in his playing days, will be 57 years tomorrow. He doesn't look that old, but energetic-looking Sidat Wettimuny is the cricketer in question and there is bound to be great celebrations on the occasion.

Cricket was in the blood of the Wettimuny family and with a doting father the late Ramsay, the children took to the game like ducks to water. The Wettimuny clan dominated the game both locally and to a certain extent on the international scene too.

He has been a fine batsman to watch and with his cricketing family background it has been cricket all the way in early life, though Sidat has somewhat shifted to the game of golf in recent years. The driving force behind the boys' in the early days was their father Ramsay, who can best be described as an authority on cricket. His dedication towards the game brought out three sons ... all star-class cricketers - Sunil the eldest, Mithra and Sidat - and all donned the Sri Lanka 'cap' and played against other nations. Sidat made his debut in Test cricket in 1981-82 against England. He scored 527 runs (Avg. 43.91) with 95 not out versus Leicestershire as his highest and he included five fifties.

A sound technically correct batsman with the temperament to play long innings. He began his first-class career, however with a 'pair' for Sri Lanka Board President's XI against Pakistan in 1976, getting out to Sarfraz Nawaz on both occasions. But Wettimuny was not to be held back and five years later made amends by scoring twin fifties (68 and 51 not out) against Northamptonshire when Sarfraz Nawaz was playing. Wettimuny went on to complete his maiden first-class hundred also against Pakistan in the Faisalabad Test in 1982 by scoring a fine 157 as already stated. He also had a long innings, taking 372 minutes when he carried his bat out for 63 against New Zealand in a Test at Christchurch.

Name in Wisden

With Wettimuny's bat doing the 'talking' as if to say, Sidat became the first Sri Lankan to appear in Wisden's 5 cricketers of the Year in 1984. He made the highest score in a inaugural Test at Lord's against England - 190. Sidat's performance would have been guided by the spiritual guidance of his father, who also guided elder brother Sunil and Mithra too.

The monumental innings of 190 at Lord's was the highest score in a first Test appearance in England. Wettimuny broke a 104-year-old record when he surpassed Australian batsman W.L. Murdeock's 153 scored at the Oval in 1880.

At that time, Wettimuny's innings stood seventh in the all-time list of batsmen who scored centuries against England at Lord's. Legendary Australian batsman Don Bradman headed the list with 254 in 1930. He was followed by West Indies opener Gordon Greenidge's epic 214 not out in 1984. The others are: 206 not out W.A. Brown (Australia) in 1938, 206 by M.R. Donnelly (New Zealand) in 1949, 200 by Moshin Khan (Pakistan) in 1982, 103 not out by Warren Bardshley (Australia) in 1926, 190 Sidat Wettimuny (Sri Lanka) in 1984. When late President J.R. Jayewardene heard of Sidat's fine knock of 190, he congratulated the cricketer through Sri Lanka High Commissioner. Sidat Wettimuny achieved another distinction in his career as an opening batsman when he became the first Sri Lanka to carry his bat through an innings in a Test match. In the first Test against New Zealand at Christchurch, Wettimuny batted throughout the Sri Lanka first innings of 2 1/2 hours to remain 63 not out of a total of 144.Sidat Wettimuny was twice honoured by Sunday Observer-Mobitel being Chief Guest at the Observer School Cricket Awards Show.